Chibiusa was running, running as fast as her little legs could carry her, terrified and scared.
She could feel it. Something was chasing her, something evil and murderous hot on her heels.
However, no matter how fast Chibiusa ran, she could feel this unknown enemy getting closer and closer to her.
Then suddenly, a burst of light exploded in front of her cutting off her path, and a ghostly being appeared before her, cackling maliciously.
The being looked like some incarnation of the Grim Reaper. He wielded a scythe, had glowing, sinister red eyes, pale white skin, a strange gold decoration around the mouth, and had most of his body covered by a purple and black cloak excluding his arms and his eyes.
"I've come for you, Rabbit," the phantom spoke spookily.
Chibiusa tried to be brave by standing her ground. "Who are you?!" she demanded. "I've never seen you before!"
"That's where you're wrong. You know who I am," the phantom said. "Now come along; it's time for you to come home to mommy."
The phantom then opened his cloak, revealing a crystal colored blacker than the deepest night against a starry field like he was a portal to another dimension. Chibiusa then screamed in terror and despair as she fell into the darkness.
She then could see her home, which was Crystal Tokyo, engulfed by several explosions of bright light, which made her all the more terrified.
"Mommy, help me! I'm scared!" Chibiusa wailed. "Those people with the Malefic Black Crystal are after me again! Help me, help me, Mommy!"
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At the Black Moon Clan's base in the future, Prince Demande called an audience with Esmeraude and Saphir. When all three of them were together, just behind Prince Demande's throne, a vast, evil torrent of black and demonic energy erupted, crackling with power. Then, after a few seconds, it died down, fading away.
"The Malefic Black Crystal seems to be releasing mysterious energy," Prince Demande commented. "Like it's seeking out its next target."
Esmeraude wasn't paying attention, staring wistfully at Prince Demande from behind her fan, thinking that he was so poetic. On the other hand, Saphir didn't seem very happy as he stood there, scowling at the prince of which he took notice.
"It appears that you wish to say something, Saphir," Prince Demande said. "Is there a problem you wish to discuss?"
"Yes, there is Big Brother. It's about this obsession about the 20th century of yours," Saphir said. "It was no value to us, yet you still keep trying to conquer it. Why is that?"
"What does it matter, Saphir?" Esmeraude cut in. "Need I remind you, now that Rubeus is gone, I'm the one in charge here. And I have no intention of failing like that flop Rubeus."
Esmeraude then let out her signature cackle, making it echo throughout the throne room, much to Saphir's and even Prince Demande's displeasure.
"Pipe down, Esmeraude!" ordered Prince Demande. "I've had quite enough of your cackling."
Esmeraude immediately stopped, feeling embarrassed. "I'm very sorry, Sir," she apologized.
Saphir then resumed speaking. "I don't see why we need to go chasing after the Legendary Siver Crystal as well as the Rabbit, either. The Malefic Black Crystal is invincible, so there's no point for us to go back to the past and waste our time and energy on them, as I said before."
Prince Demande then stood up and walked behind his throne, gazing at nothing in particular. "Wiseman, come here, please," he ordered.
At his command, the Wiseman appeared into view, only unlike with Rubeus, it was the real deal. Wiseman summoned forth his crystal ball and used his psychic powers.
"As long the Rabbit and Silver Crystal exist, the Malefic Black Crystal will still be vulnerable," Wiseman said. "I must insist that you find that troublesome crystal as well as that Rabbit and destroy them."
Saphir was disgruntled, while Prince Demande was pleased, as another flare of dark energy from the Malefic Black Crystal flared.
"And once the Silver Crystal is gone," Prince Demande said to himself, chuckling. "The Malefic Black Crystal will help make our dreams become a reality."
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Meanwhile, in the Tsukino household, Usagi, Harusuke, the other girls, Artemis and Luna, gathered in Usagi's room with an unconscious Chibiusa sleeping in Usagi's bed. Over the past couple of days, Chibiusa had fallen into a strange sleep of sorts and hadn't woken up since then, and everyone began to worry.
Usagi, naturally, was anxious and couldn't help but panic as she clung to Minako. "What can we do to help her?!" she cried tearfully. "If this goes on, Chibiusa's going to die!"
"Whoa, Usagi. Calm down," Minako said. "There's no need to -"
"How can you expect me to be calm at a time like this?!" Usagi cried. "Even the doctor doesn't know what's wrong with her!"
"Usagi, don't worry. It's going to be okay," reassured Rei. "I'm not sure how, but it will."
"Rei's right," Harusuke spoke quietly. "We understand how worried you are, but we've got to keep our wits about us if we want to help Chibiusa. That's all we can do right now."
Then, Chibiusa began to toss and turn in her sleep, mumbling. "Help me... The Malefic Black Crystal. They're coming; they're coming here. Help me, help me, Puu!"
At that moment, hearing her sleeping cries, Luna P's eyes suddenly began to glow, catching everyone by surprise. Luna-P then hovered over to Chibiusa's sleeping body and began to glow, turning into a bright sphere of light. The light then disappeared, revealing a translucent orb, and inside of it was a tiny young woman.
She was young if not a bit older, had light skin that was a bit darker than the other teens, had eyes bright violet, had long green hair that went to her knees, while also tied in a bun on top, and held a long staff in her hands reminiscent of a key. She also wore a sailor uniform like the Guardians, its bows colored maroon, the sailor collar black along with the trims of her white gloves, and black knee-high heeled boots. Also, she had red earrings in the shape of arrows, a black choker with a red bauble around her neck, and had a red garnet in the middle of her tiara.
Everyone was shocked and also amazed.
"Who... in the world is that?!" gasped Minako.
"I think... it's a Sailor Guardian," Harusuke spoke.
"That is correct, Harusuke," the mysterious Guardian introduced. "I am Sailor Pluto, the Guardian who defends the door of space and time."
"Sailor Pluto?" repeated Luna. "I think I've heard of her from somewhere, but... very vaguely."
"Are you the one who Chibiusa calls Puu?" Usagi asked.
"Yes, and I'm sure that you have other questions as well, but I'm afraid, as they say, time is of the essence," said Sailor Pluto gravely. "Please, Guardians. You must save Small Lady."
"Small Lady?" puzzled Harusuke.
"I think she means Chibiusa," said Minako.
"The reason she's in this deep sleep is that the Malefic Black Crystal is assaulting her mind," explained Sailor Pluto. "If this assault continues, I'm afraid that her mind will fall apart. However, there is only one way to save her. All of you must enter her subconscious mind and cease the attack from within it, but it will be perilous."
"But that's the only way Chibiusa will recover?" Usagi asked.
Sailor Pluto answered with a silent nod, and Usagi nodded back, understanding what she had to do. Everyone else understood also.
"Looks like it's our turn to help her," Minako said.
"Yeah. Let's go save Chibiusa!" Harusuke said.
Usagi then whispered to the sleeping Chibiusa. "You hear that, Chibiusa? We're all coming to save you."
Sailor Pluto smiled gratefully. "I knew I could count on you. Thank you." She then raised her staff. "Please take care, and protect Small Lady."
And in a brilliant flash of light from Sailor Pluto's staff, Usagi and the others saw nothing but white as they fell unconscious.
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Usagi and the girls soon awoke, finding themselves in an entirely different place under a stone archway in shambles. Everyone then glanced towards the horizon and saw a strange yet ominous sight. Below them was a city in ruins with a giant crystal palace in the distance with the moon so large and close that one would think it was another planet.
"Where are we?" wondered Minako. "Are we in Chibiusa's mind?"
"We must be," said Harusuke. "Considering that we're no longer in Usagi's room."
"Wherever we are, this place sure is gloomy," said Rei.
"And take a look at the moon," pointed out Usagi. "It looks so big."
"I think I know where we are," Ami spoke, appearing anxious. "This place might be the future city of Crystal Tokyo."
"You think so?" murmured Makoto. "What a dark future."
"Don't forget, we're in Chibiusa's mind," reassured Rei. "So, we can't be certain that the future will end up being like this."
"I hope you're right about that, Rei," Harusuke said. "Because I don't think Chibiusa could dream up something this dark if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes."
Then, a familiar, crying voice echoed from the city.
"Mommy... Mommy..."
Usagi gasped. "That's Chibiusa!" she cried.
"And it sounds like she's someone in the city," said Luna. "Let's follow it and find her!"
So everyone rushed into the city following the sound of Chibiusa's voice. They soon came to a ruined house where it was the loudest. Usagi then opened the door, and sitting in the middle of the room was Chibiusa, who was still crying for her mother.
"Chibiusa!" Usagi cried with relief.
Chibiusa jumped and turned around, and when she saw Usagi and the gang, she scowled crossly at them. "Who are you people?!" she demanded.
Usagi was surprised. "What are you talking about?! It's me, Usagi! Don't you recognize us, Chibiusa?!"
"Stop calling me by that stupid nickname!" Chibiusa shouted. "My real name is Small Lady, and I don't know any of you! Now tell me who you are, right now!"
Everyone was confused as to why Chibiusa didn't seem to recognize them until Ami had a thought.
"Everyone, I think I might know what could be going on here," Ami said. "Based on how she's acting, the Chibiusa that we're seeing right now hasn't seen us yet."
"So that means that Chibiusa is dreaming about something that happened before she came to our time?" asked Rei.
"That would seem to be the case," Harusuke said. "It does explain why she doesn't recognize us."
"You're not making any sense at all!" Chibiusa snapped crossly. "So I'm out of here! Goodbye!"
The pink ordango then took off, running out of the room as fast as her legs could carry her. Not wanting to let her out of their sight, Usagi and the others chased after her.
Chibiusa ran, and she ran, now feeling more afraid than ever until she came to a stop just beside a wall. As she tried to catch her breath, Chibiusa tried to think of her next move while trying not to be brave.
"I've got even more enemies than I thought I did!" Chibiusa panted. "I can't let my guard down for a minute!"
Then a shadow loomed over Chibiusa, causing the girl's blood to run cold with fear. She then looked up, and to her horror, the phantom that had been haunting her dreams had appeared above, its red eyes gleaming with malice.
"There you are, Rabbit," the phantom purred. "Now, what do you say we continue our little game of hide-and-seek?"
The phantom then lunged straight at Chibiusa and swung its scythe, attempting to cut Chibiusa in half, but the little was able to dodge the attacks, albeit just barely. Usagi and the others then arrived and saw that Chibiusa was in trouble.
"Everyone! Transform, now!" Luna ordered.
"Quickly! You all need to protect, Chibiusa!" Artemis said.
"Right!" the teens acknowledged as they sprang into action.
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER...!"
"MERCURY STAR POWER...!"
"MARS STAR POWER...!"
"JUPITER STAR POWER...!"
"VENUS STAR POWER...!"
"SOLAR PRISM POWER...!"
"MAKE UP!"
"BLAZE FORTH!"
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Transformation Sequence: Usagi
Usagi holds up the Crystal Star brooch as it opens, revealing the Silver Crystal inside. Usagi waved her hand on the Silver Crystal, and it flashed it a bright short burst of pink light emitting a chime. It does it a second time, and on the third, it shines brightly, enveloping Usagi in its glow. Usagi then holds the brooch above her head, suspending it in between her hands, drawing it to the center of her torso, flipping it once before placing it in the center of her chest. She then spins around a few times as the crystal begins to glow even brighter than before in pink light. She holds her hands up as a pair of wings spring forth from her back while pink ribbons come out from the crystal wrapping around Usagi's body, forming her leotard. The wings on her back disappeared as more pink ribbons wrapped around her arms and hands, creating white gloves and red boots around her calves and feet. As the blue skirt appears around her waist, one more pink ribbon ties at her back as she does a kind of spread-eagle motion with one leg up, a glowing moon symbol appearing on her forehead. Her tiara, earrings, choker, and ordango covers appear, and Usagi, now Sailor Moon, finishes with her signature pose.
Transformation Sequence: Harusuke.
Harusuke holds up his hand as the stone on his bracelet shines bright in golden light. The stone lets out three pulses, the symbol of the Sun glowing inside of it on the third pulse. Harusuke is enveloped in silver and gold light as he jumps into the air, his clothes disappearing. The symbol of the sun appears just above him and goes down, phasing through his body, making his silver jumpsuit with gold lines on the sides materialize. Two smaller sun symbols go over his feet to his kneecaps, and his gold and metal boots and silver kneecaps appear. Around his waist, a ring of light wraps around it, forming a belt with a gold belt buckle in the shape of an oval. Harusuke then spreads his arms wide as two more light rings envelop his arms and hands, making gold gloves appear. The symbol of the sun appears in front of him now, and crashes into his chest, making his chest piece like before, now thicker and having shoulder guards. Finally, a helmet materializes above Harusuke's head, the design slightly different as he reaches and grabs hit, putting it on his head, not having a mouth protector. Harusuke opens his eyes, punches his hands together, and strikes his signature pose, the symbol of the sun appearing behind him with a star-filled background.
Transformation Sequence: Ami
Ami holds up her hand as blue sparkles swirled around it, alighting her fingernails turning them into a shade of bright blue. Her transformation stick appears spinning, and she takes hold of it, the star on end and the symbol glowing. It begins to turn as Ami is enveloped in blue light. Then she sweeps the pen over her head as a stream of sparkling blue water begins to emit from it, forming her leotard, boots, and gloves. A sparkling ripple and a flurry of bubbles expand over her body, creating a tiny mist of water that forms the rest of her uniform, the same as Sailor Moon's, but the center bow, boots, and rims on the gloves were blue and bright blue. Finally, she turns around and then strikes her signature pose.
Transformation Sequence: Rei
Rei's hand is held up as red sparkles swirl around it, alighting her fingernails, turning them into a shade of bright red. Her transformation stick appears spinning, and she takes hold of it, the star on end as well as the symbol glowing. It begins to turn as Rei is enveloped in red light. As she held up her pen while spinning around, long bright tongues of flame erupted from it, forming several rings around her body. They tighten around her body, and in a brilliant flash of light, her outfit forms having to look just like Sailor Moon's, but she is wearing red pumps along with a pair of red star-shaped earrings, the center bow is purple, and the rims of her gloves, her skirt, her choker, and collar are red. After that, Mars finishes with her signature pose.
Transformation Sequence: Makoto
Makoto's hand is held up as green sparkles swirl around it, alighting her fingernails, turning them into a shade of bright green. Her transformation stick appears spinning, and she takes hold of it, the star on end as well as the symbol glowing. It starts to turn around rapidly as green light envelops Makoto. As she holds up her pen while spinning around, long streams of lightning erupt from it, encircling her body, forming an atom of sorts before exploding in a brilliant flash of light. Her outfit forms, having to look just like Sailor Moon's, wearing green boots along with her pair of roses earrings, the bow is pink, and the rims of her gloves green, as is her skirt, her choker, and collar. After that, Jupiter finishes with her signature pose.
Transformation sequence: Minako.
Minako's hand is held up as golden stars swirl around it, alighting her fingernails, turning them into a shade of bright orange. Her transformation stick appears spinning, and she takes hold of it, the star on end as well as the symbol glowing. It begins to turn as Minako is enveloped in yellow light. Then she sweeps the pen over her head as banners of golden stars emit from it. Minako then holds up the pen above her head as the banners of stars form a spiral around her body. They disappear into the ground, forming a circle of stars and burst into more stars going upwards, enveloping Minako's body. Then Minako emerges wearing the same outfit as Sailor Moon's, the center bow, boots, and rims on the gloves colored orange, her back bow, yellow, and her center bow, blue. She then opens her eyes as she assumes her signature pose.
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The phantom now had Chibiusa cornered as she was on the ground, scared but scowling as she tried her best to be brave. The ghost was about to attack again when he and Chibiusa heard a voice.
"Stop right there!"
The phantom and Chibiusa looked up and, standing on top of a broken pillar with the moon shining brightly behind them, were the Guardians.
"Now, see here! If you're going to invade someone's mind, try to show some respect to your host!" the Guardian of the Moon scolded crossly. "I am the Pretty Guardian who fights for love and justice, Sailor Moon! And now, in the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"
"How annoying!" the phantom huffed. "If you want to stand in my way, then die!"
The phantom aimed, and with a mighty throw of his arm, he threw his scythe at the Guardians like it was a boomerang. The Guardians quickly jumped out of the way, and Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus went on the attack.
"MARS BURNING MANDALA!"
"VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!"
The two then combined their attacks, creating a whip of hearts encircled with fire rings, but the Burning Love-Chain Mandala was ineffective, much to their and the other Guardians' surprise.
"That's impossible!" gasped Sailor Mars. "That should have done some damage!"
"Why didn't it work?!" wondered Sailor Venus.
"Your friend, Rabbit knows exactly why," the phantom cackled as he caught his scythe. "Why don't you ask her?"
Everyone then glanced over to the little girl, who was as confused as they were. Chibiusa then took off running once again.
Sailor Mars then looked across to Sailor Moon and Solaris. "Sailor Moon. You and Solaris go after Chibiusa. We can handle this guy!"
"Sure. Just leave it to us!" Sailor Moon said.
"Be careful, Mars," Solaris added.
The two rushed after Chibiusa while the other Guardians squared off against the phantom.
"If you want to get to them, you'll have to get through us!" Sailor Mars challenged.
The phantom's eyes gleamed as he brandished his scythe. "Sounds like fun."
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Chibiusa had gotten a reasonable distance away from the battle, not wanting to get involved with what was happening. Just then, Sailor Moon and Solaris stepped out from seemingly out of nowhere, blocking her path. Still believing that the two Guardians were her enemies, she made to run again, but Solaris stopped her.
"Chibiusa, wait!" Solaris urged. "Just listen to what we have to say."
"I don't want to hear it!" yelled Chibiusa.
"Take it easy for a minute," Sailor Moon spoke gently. "We came here because we want to help you!"
"What are you talking about?!" Chibiusa yelled again. "You and your friends are the ones who a huge mess of Crystal Tokyo in the first place! You and the rest of the Black Moon Clan did this, and to my mommy! It's all your guy's fault!"
"What are you talking about?" Sailor Moon gasped. "You've got it all wrong."
"Yeah, we're the good guys, Chibiusa," Solaris added. "We're not your enemies."
"You're lying!" Chibiusa huffed as she turned away.
Sailor Moon then got on her knees to be eye level with the pink ordango girl. "No, we're not. We came here for one reason, and that's to protect you from the Black Moon Clan."
Chibiusa's guard lessened as she looked back at Sailor Moon. "You're here to protect me?" she repeated doubtfully.
"Yes, me, my brother, and my friends are the Guardians of Justice," explained Sailor Moon with a friendly smile. "And I know this is going to be hard to believe, but eventually, you're going to travel back in time to the twentieth century and become good friends with us."
"And if we were your enemies, don't you think that we would have attacked you already?" Solaris said. "I mean, come on. Trust us. We're on your side."
Chibiusa shook Sailor Moon's hands from hers and turned away, still having her doubts. "What are you talking about?! This is stupid! But since I don't have a choice right now, I suppose I'll have to trust you two. But first, you both have to prove it to me."
"And how do you want us to do that?" wondered Solaris.
Chibiusa faced the two heroes again. "Save my mommy."
The little girl then led Sailor Moon and Solaris towards the castle made of crystal, which seemed to tower above everything else as it glittered in the moonlight. Sailor Moon and Solaris couldn't help but feel amazed by this strange yet pretty sight.
"This is the Crystal Palace," Chibiusa said. "My mommy is sleeping inside there."
"Then let's go to her," said Sailor Moon. "Solaris, shall we?"
Solaris nodded in response, and the two were about to enter it when Chibiusa stopped them. Then, the little pinkette picked up a rock on the ground and threw it. It seemed to strike an invisible barrier that crackled and sparked when she did, disintegrating the rock instantly.
"What the heck was that just now?" asked Solaris.
"It's the Malefic Black Crystal," Chibiusa explained bitterly. "My mommy warned me that our enemies were using this evil crystal's powers against us. But even so, I want you to save my mommy!"
Sailor Moon and Solaris were surprised to be charged with such a task and were unsure.
Chibiusa's lips then curled with a sneer. "What's the matter? Are you guys scared? Then I suppose you both must have been lying about being my friend."
At that moment, Artemis and Luna came running up to them.
"Sailor Moon! Solaris! The Guardians are in trouble!" Artemis cried. "They can't hold off that specter thing much longer!"
"Okay. We'll be right there," Sailor Moon said. "Just give us a few seconds." She looked at Chibiusa. "Don't worry, Chibiusa. We'll save your mommy. I promise you we'll find a way to get her."
"That goes double for me," Solaris said. "We can't expect you to trust us, but believe me when I say, we'll always be on your side, even if you aren't. We'll save your mom, but first, we have to save our friends." He glanced over at the felines. "Artemis. Luna. Look after Chibiusa for us."
"Right!" Artemis and Luna said.
Sailor Moon and Solaris took off racing back to the battlefield, while Chibiusa worriedly and puzzledly watched them go.
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Sailor Moon and Solaris soon arrived back on the battlefield. Unfortunately, the phantom still didn't show any significant damage while the other guardians were a bit tired.
"Sorry we're late, everyone, but we're back!" Sailor Moon said. "And we've found something out too!"
"It seems that Chibiusa's mother is held captive somewhere in that Crystal Palace not far from here," said Solaris. "So, therefore, if we rescue her..."
"It might be the key to making Chibiusa better again!" finished Sailor Venus.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Sailor Mars smirked. "Let's go save her!"
"Unfortunately, it's not that simple," Sailor Moon said grimly. "There's a barrier covering the palace preventing anyone from getting inside."
"Don't worry, we'll cross that bridge when we get there," Solaris said, glancing at the phantom. "First, I think it's about time that we take down Mr. Tall, Dark, and Spooky, don't you?"
"Believe me; we've been trying," Sailor Mars said. "But none of our attacks haven't had any effect on him!"
"Well, we've got to beat him somehow," said Sailor Jupiter. "But the question is, how?"
Once again, the phantom threw his scythe right at the Guardians, hitting all of them at once. Sailors Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus were down for the count due to fighting the phantom for so long, but Sailor Moon and Solaris got back up, refusing to back down.
"No way! I'm not done yet!" grunted Sailor Moon.
"Neither am I!" winced Solaris.
"Then I shall put an end to both of your sufferings," the phantom cackled.
While this was happening, Chibiusa, along with Luna and Artemus, having to have followed Sailor Moon and Solaris, were watching the two Guardians stand their ground, Chibiusa especially looking worried and tense. Sailor Moon taking out her Cutie Moon Rod, and Solaris shooting out beams of light, turning them into whips, valiantly pounced at the phantom. Sailor Moon swung her Cutie Moon Rod like a sword only to have the phantom block it and, using his scythe, turned her around, slamming her to the ground hard.
Solaris then swung his whips made of light at the phantom, hoping to bind him, but with a few quick swipes of his scythe, cut them, and using the back end, hit the guardian square in the gut. Solaris cried out in pain as he flew into a large piece of rubble, crashing straight through it.
"Sailor Moon! Solaris!" Chibiusa cried with horror.
"Run! Chibiusa!" shouted Sailor Moon. "Get out of here!"
Hearing Chibiusa's voice, the phantom looked at Chibiusa. "So this is where you've been hiding, Rabbit," he cackled. "Now, let's go home!"
He shot straight down and gave his scythe a mighty swing, making the blade pierce the ground. It began to rumble and crack, creating a large crevasse heading straight towards Chibiusa and the cats. Not being able to react in time, Chibiusa screamed as she fell into the abyss, but at the last minute, Sailor Moon dove straight toward her and managed to grab hold of her hand, saving her. Sailor Moon struggled a bit as she desperately held on, but like a bulldog, she wouldn't let go.
"Chibiusa, are you alright?" Sailor Moon winced.
"Sailor Moon, why did you save me?" Chibiusa asked back.
Sailor Moon smiled. "I told you, didn't I? I'm your friend."
The phantom, seeing this tried to attack the two, but Solaris barred his way with a Sunshine Meteor, forcing the spirit to block it.
"You're not going anywhere!" Solaris yelled. "Not without getting past me!"
"You damned brat!" the phantom snarled. "Don't interfere!"
As the two resumed fighting, Sailor Moon desperately tried to pull Chibiusa up, which caused her hand to slip a bit, but she held on.
"Sailor Moon, let me go," Chibiusa begged. "You and Solaris have done enough for me. It's okay."
"No way. I would never do that to you," Sailor Moon spoke, smiling. "We all came here to save you, Chibiusa, and that's what we're going to do."
Chibiusa was now speechless and moved, seeing how selfless Sailor Moon was being as she began to have flashbacks of Sailor Pluto and Mamoru telling her about the Guardians and about Sailor Moon being invincible. Her faith in the heroine grew more as her eyes wavered.
"Sailor Moon, are you invincible?" Chibiusa asked.
Sailor Moon smiled warmly. "As long as you have faith in me, and open your heart to us, Chibiusa, then I'll become as strong as you want me to be."
Back in the fight between the phantom and Solaris, the specter again managed to overpower the Guardian, knocking him to the ground. Now that no one else was in his way, the phantom refocused his attention on Sailor Moon and Chibiusa.
"Now you're mine, Rabbit!" the phantom shrieked as he raised his scythe. "Let's go home to mommy!"
"Sailor Moon! Chibiusa! Look out!" Luna and Artemis yelled.
Then Chibiusa shouted at the top of her lungs, her voice filled with hope. "Kick that guy's butt, Sailor Moon!"
Sailor Moon then grabbed her Cutie Moon Rod and blocked the phantom's scythe just in the nick of time. The Guardian's body was radiating with a pink aura, filling with newly found strength. With a mighty shout, Sailor Moon not only repelled the phantom away but was also able to pull Chibiusa out of the chasm as well, much to the amazement of the cats and the other guardians.
"Alright, you creep! It's time you knock it off already!" Sailor Moon spoke as she aimed her rod at the creature. "I'm not going to let you have your way anymore! MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"
Sailor Moon unleashed her signature attack and blasted the phantom into oblivion as he shrieked in agony, leaving behind only a strange black crystal as it crumbled into dust. Chibiusa was amazed and astonished as she looked up at Sailor Moon, who smiled at her proudly.
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After a while, Chibiusa led everyone back to the Crystal Palace, the barrier now no longer there. They came into a hidden room in the back when they were inside. Inside the room, resting on top of a table, a slumbering woman lay encased in strange glowing crystal.
"So that's Chibiusa's Mom, huh?" Sailor Moon wondered.
Chibiusa then stepped in front of the Guardians, wearing a warm smile and filled with gratitude. "Sailor Moon, thank you for keeping your promise," she said. "Because of you and everyone else, I'll be okay."
Sailor Moon smiled back at her. "Don't forget, we'll always be there for you whenever you need our help," she said. "We'll always be by your side no matter what."
At that moment, the area around them began to change, turning into rainbow-colored light overtaking their vision, signaling that the nightmare had finally ended.
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When Usagi and the others woke up, they found themselves back inside Usagi's room, having to have fallen asleep.
Sailor Pluto, who was still in the room, greeted them warmly. "Welcome back, Guardians, and thank you for everything that you've done. Especially you, Sailor Moon."
"Sailor Pluto? Will Chibiusa be all right now?" wondered Usagi.
Her answer came sooner than expected, for right then, Chibiusa's eyes fluttered open as she slowly sat up from her bed, now fully awake.
"What's going on?" Chibiusa mumbled sleepily. "I was having such a good nap..."
Usagi was overjoyed. "We did it! Chibiusa's cured!" she cried as she embraced her in a big hug.
Chibiusa then saw Sailor Pluto and was surprised to see her. Sailor Pluto hovered over to Chibiusa as the little girl held her orb in her hands.
"Puu, I want to go back to the future," Chibiusa said. "Is there any way I can?"
"I'm afraid it's still impossible in your current state, Small Lady," Sailor Pluto replied kindly. "The enemy will soon be attacking the twentieth century once again, and you must be ready for them. Also, remember that by protecting this place and time, you're also protecting the future." She looked across to Usagi and the others. "Guardians, please protect Small Lady for me, and make sure you hold onto the Silver Crystal as well."
The image of Sailor Pluto began to fade away as a ball of light swallowed it up.
"Wait a minute! We still have so many questions!" Usagi cried.
"Yeah! Like how do you know who we are, and what about the Black Moon Clan!" Harusuke also cried.
"Puu! Wait! Don't go!" begged Chibiusa.
But it was too late. The ball of light reverted to Luna-P, and Sailor Pluto was gone. Feeling sad, Chibiusa started to cry, and she buried her face into Usagi's chest, hugging her tightly. Usagi accepted the hug as she petted Chibiusa's head, hoping to soothe her sorrows as she made a promise to herself.
"Chibiusa, I swear I will protect you, the Silver Crystal, and the future that's yet to come. I promise!"